Latest News

QMI Agency

Teenager Gabriel Landeskog has become the youngest captain in NHL history.

The 19-year-old centre was appointed captain of the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday after veteran forward Milan Hejduk gave up the role.

Landeskog is 19 years and 286 days old. Sidney Crosby was 19 years and 297 days old when he became captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins on May 31, 2007.

Landeskog, a native of Sweden, also captained the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL in 2010-11, his final season of junior hockey.

He becomes the 11th captain in the history of the Avs/Quebec Nordiques and the third European, joining Hejduk and Peter Stastny.

Landeskog had 22 goals and 30 assists this past season and was selected the NHL rookie of the year.

NO LABOUR STOPPAGE: MACLEAN

"There won't be a lockout," Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster Ron MacLean writes in an opinion piece posted Tuesday on his employer's website.

MacLean says the issues that led to the NHL locking out the players in 2004-05 are different now, as the league and the union negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement.

Eight years ago, Bettman's stance was backed by an audit showing that the league had lost $232 million US in 2003-04 and the owners were convinced they would lose more money if they went ahead with the 2004-05 season. Further, MacLean said, Bettman convinced the owners they could gain $1 billion with a new CBA.

"All Bettman is after in this negotiation is to do what both the NFL and NBA did and trim the players' percentage of revenues," MacLean said. "With the wonderful growth since the last CBA, the players now earn 57% of hockey-related revenues and have been getting larger absolute dollar amounts.

"The NFL and NBA sliced the players' take, and Bettman wants to achieve a similar deal. In simplest terms, he's out for 50/50."

The NHL has threatened to lock out the players after the current CBA expires Sept. 15.

BRIEFLY

Former NHLer John Madden has been hired as a scout by the Montreal Canadiens. Madden, 39, will evaluate free agents at the U.S. collegiate level. Madden won the Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils (2000, 2003) and the Chicago Blackhawks (2010) ... Defenceman Keith Yandle would welcome a trade to the Boston Bruins, a source told CSNNE.com. The Bruins have been trying to obtain an upper-tier defenceman, according to reports. Yandle, a Boston native, had 11 goals and 32 assists for the Phoenix Coyotes last season.